What is CIS/2?
CIS/2 (CIMSteel Integration Standards/Version 2) is a protocol through which seemingly stand-alone programs, such as structural analysis, CAD and detailing systems, can communicate with each other. By providing a neutral data format, CIS/2 allows data interchange between a wide variety of program types as long as these programs have translators written to interpret the CIS/2 neutral data into the programs native format. CIS/2 was the outgrowth of ten years effort by Leeds University (UK) and SCI (Steel Construction Institute). Version 1 was partially funded through grants by the European Union EUREKA Project up through its first release in 1995. Its testing and refinement led to Version 2, which was released in 1999. The main changes in Version 2 included covering more conditions encountered in structural steel design and fabrication, and attaining closer consistency with the ISO-STEP exchange models and practices, including adoption of several ISO-STEP Integrated Resource libraries.(F